The latest Hottop home coffee roaster is model KN-8828B-2K+ which we expect to have available by the end of July. This model adds USB connectivity to Artisan roasting software running on a computer. You will have the ability to run the roaster from the Artisan software once properly configured; alternately you can control the roaster directly. In either case Artisan will record the roast profile and key events during the roast. Saved profiles can be stored and serve as a background to future roasts if you wish to follow a previously successful roast of a given coffee. This roaster and software combination takes home roasting to a new level and adds immensely to its enjoyment.

Hottop KN-8828B-2K+ Control Panel

Priced at Roastmasters.com at $1600 including free shipping the KN-8828B-2K+ is a revamped KN-8828B-2K which can be had for $1100. The upgrades that your $500 buys are:

A new, USB compatible control panel featuring an advanced LED with wide viewing angle, high contrast, and full roast data displayed in real time. LEDs change color as temperatures rise.

Two K-type thermocouples for separate bean temperature (BT) and environmental temperature (ET) for real-time monitoring. Both temperatures are displayed on the LED screen throughout the roast. Other Hottop models have but one thermocouple.

The USB port is bi-directional and supports third party software (Artisan) for real-time monitoring and graphing of roasts as well as for computer control of the roaster.

Updated heating elements allow for roasts up to 300 grams (vs 250 grams for other current models).

Artisan software can be used on Windows, Mac and Linux computers and is open source – free – software. While free it is well supported and updated by a community of users and is surprisingly robust providing near professional capabilities.

Artisan screenshot for Hottop KN-8828B-2K+

It should be noted that while Hottop guarantees and supports the roaster they do not provide same for the software and have several disclaimers to that point.

We have had a chance to test this roaster and have really enjoyed ourselves in doing so. One nice aspect of Hottop is that the body of the machine has not changed in years, however, the company continues to improve the product and offers their customers upgrade kits. If you have an older Hottop model then such kits are available although they can be expensive. For new customers going directly to this model it’s nice to know the company is not trying to always sell you something new and the core roaster has significant longevity.

As to Artisan, it’s excellent software that lets you track bean and environmental temperatures, deltas for each which are similar to rate-of-rise, add notes, follow prior profile guides, produces spider graphs, has room for cupping notes, color analysis for those with such measuring equipment and many other features. Many home roasters have used this developed software for years, mainly recording profiles from handmade notes. Now, not only is Artisan capable of recording real time information from this Hottop model, but, the software can control the roaster including its fan speed, heating elements, stirrer, motor and ejection door.

For those looking for a totally automated experience this will not be the one for you. But this will be great fun for the DIY type who likes to exert full control over their coffee roasting and wants to perfect their roast profiles. The Hottop KN-8828B-2K+and Artisan software combination is as close to professional grade as you’re apt to find in a home roaster at this time.

We offer a selection of the best home coffee roasters and we receive occasional orders for them from customers outside the USA. All of our home roasters are powered by electricity and electric supply varies by country. The USA electric supply is 120 volts, 60 hertz. The following countries have the same electric supply although in some cases plug configuration may differ:

In other words, roasters made for the US market should work in this group of countries without modification.

Please understand that home coffee roasters, particularly those with timed roasting cycles like Behmor and Hottop, have a defined maximum period during which roasting must complete. This feature is designed for your safety. If the voltage supply is not sufficient than you will run out of time before roasting completes; if there is too much voltage than internal parts may burn up, destroying your roaster. Roasters purchased from us have guarantees for the US only so any purchase for use out of country is not covered.

Roasters heading anywhere else in the world will either not work or may, in some cases, work with voltage regulation and plug adapters. The very best thing that you can do is purchase a roaster that was built for your electric supply rather than buying one made for another country and attempting to convert it. This latter approach usually leads to dissatisfaction.

It is critical to deliver the correct voltage and frequency (hertz) to your roaster. Even if it’s made for the US market there are many locations and situations when voltage is inadequate. During summer heat waves electric companies reduce the output of the electric grid and voltage will drop to save electricity. Also, for voltage sensitive equipment you should not use an extension cord which will reduce the delivered voltage; plug the appliance directly into a wall socket. You can use a voltage regulator to even out and to some extent boost voltage moderately. For example, if your voltage supply is 117 volts (a simple volt meter or Kill-a-Watt device will inform you) you can set use a voltage regulator, like the Variac that we sell, to increase voltage to 120 and the device will keep the supply steady. The frequency of electricity, expressed in Hertz, must be matched to the electric supply. Otherwise timing of motors and clock/timers, where applicable, will not function properly.

When the current USA supply of Behmor 1600 roasters are exhausted they will be replaced with the Behmor 1600 Plus, expected late summer. The only changes to the roaster will be a new Control Board (aka PCB) that will provide additional roasting controls and information, and, a new price. The PCB will allow home roasters to switch between the original automatic profiles and new manual settings. Users will be able to read thermistor and exhaust temperatures and also switch between two drum speeds. New MSRP is $399 and we will offer the Plus at the minimum selling price of $369. It should be noted that Behmor has not had a price increase since the roaster was first introduced 7 years ago.

SETTINGS WHEN IN MANUAL MODE

Do you need to upgrade?If you have an existing Behmor 1600, you are happy with it and see no need to have manual overrides, than there is no need to upgrade by purchasing the upgrade kit or even a new roaster. When the time comes to purchase your next Behmor this is what you will get – exactly the same roaster that works as before when you want it to, but, has added features if and when you want them. You can continue to use the 1600 Plus just as did the 1600 when in its automatic (standard) mode.

Control Panel Upgrade onlyPrior to the release of the Behmor Plus you will be able to purchase an upgrade kit consisting of the control panel and instructions for conversion. The selling price of this kit is $49.99. We expect to have upgrade kits in early to mid July. By upgrading your existing Behmor 1600 with this kit you will end up with a Behmor Plus – there are no other differences.

MORE DETAIL

All the time: Auto or Manual
1) Press C (for crack as in first) and it resets timer according to weight to our “Rosetta Stone” times which are associated with approximate time it takes to go from the first crack of 1C to start of 2C. It is merely an approximation.
2) Auto Safe/ Unattended Switch – at 75% into set time of a roast the timer will start blinking un:30..29, 28 etc.. The user has 30 seconds to press START otherwise it will automatically go into cool flashing err7.

Recap
In Auto (default) all buttons act the same as in current system except ABC, for temp readings and time reset.
In Manual (only functional after starting a roast)
Button 1: Returns system from Manual mode to Auto (defaults).
Buttons A – C same as in auto
Button D – drum / cylinder motor speed toggle from standard (8 rpm) to high (16rpm)
Buttons P1 – P5 power to elements: P1- 0, P2-25%, P3-50%, P4-75%, P5-100%
All other buttons ¼, ½, +, -, Cooling, Light, Off remain the same in either / original program.

If you were an early adopter to Brazen brewers you may have a carafe that dribbles when you pour coffee. Joe Behm, head of the company, is offering to send a Spout Replacement Kit to resolve this problem. If you read the instructions and/or watch the video than you will find the replacement pretty easy to do. Future builds of the Brazen and any purchased from us after 10/9/13 will have the newest spout.

Joe wrote:

Earlier this year, we were made aware of an issue concerning a relatively small percentage of carafes that dribbled. When the issue was brought to our attention, we brought it to the attention of the factory, which was surprised. Mr Coffee had used that carafe in over 200,000 units without any reports of this dribbling effect.

I want to personally apologize to every Behmor Brazen customer affected by this.

Despite the low overall percentage of carafes involved, we felt the best solution was to do a complete spout/upper portion redesign. The full vetting/testing is completed, and all involved are more than satisfied with the results. We hope you will be, too.

Starting Monday- September 20th, we will have a kit available for anyone interested (instruction sent via email) in swapping the old upper portion of the carafe with the new one. The swap requires two screwdrivers (small flat head and a Phillips) and about 5 minutes’ time.

The Best of Panama 2013 internet auction was held last Wednesday 7/3 and prices were overall very high and, in a number of instances, extremely so. By way of disclosure, yours truly was one of sixteen international judges who cupped and scored these coffees in Boquete, Panama in May. The competition and auction that followed is broken into three categories: Geisha varietal, Traditional and Natural process coffees. The Geishas and Traditionals are all washed or ‘honey’ processed. Indeed, some of the nicest coffees anywhere are being produced in Panama, though this origin does not signify magic to the American consumer. Close to zero of the auction winners were from the United States, and this is often true of winners at Cup of Excellence auctions as well.

Almost all of this award winning, expensive coffee goes to Asia where a taste for rare and exotic foods is firmly implanted in the culture, albeit those with the wherewithal to afford them. Witness Wagyu beef at $1,500 a pound, $1,000 a pound Matsutake mushrooms, the 1.76 million dollar bluefin tuna that was purchased in January, a mere $3,600 a pound or Fugu blowfish. This quest for unique experiences extends throughout Asia and is also being witnessed in Australia.

At Best of Panama there were 47 coffees auctioned. Four of them attained prices over $100 a pound and 17 more coffees achieved between $20 and $100.

Coffee

Price per pound

Category

Rank in category

Esmeralda Special Natural Cañas Verdes

$350.25

Natural

1

Kotowa Don K Geisha Nat

$170.25

Natural

3

Los Lajones Bambu Geisha

$165.75

Natural

2

Ironman

$160.25

Geisha

1

Esmeralda Special Cañas Verdes

$85.25

Geisha

3

Esmeralda Special Jaramillo

$48.15

Geisha

8

Kotowa Don K Geisha

$45.25

Geisha

14

In all, 14,550 pounds of coffee were auctioned with an average price of $19.88 per pound. Most of these were very small lots with 100 to 150 pounds. But the questions remain 1) who buys and can afford the most expensive of these coffees? And 2) why is the US absent from the top earners? Americans, even the wealthy ones, seemingly do not place a value on the experience, or, perhaps the experience does not live up to the price?

A $350 pound coffee will yield 10 small Chemex pots each 36 ounces. $350 is the price of the green, unroasted coffee, which when imported and roasted will be more like $425 per pound, so that pot of coffee has a cost of about $43. How much would it be priced tableside – $100 or about $15 a cup. Maybe high rollers would would pay that, maybe not, prefering to dole out the bucks for big name, rare champagnes or cognacs. It will be interesting to see how this trend develops and whether it turns out to be good or bad for specialty coffee. Share your thoughts.

By popular request we have added flat shipping rates that will make it more economical to purchase green coffee, particularly in larger increments. Because of our shipping volumes the vast majority of these shipments will travel via FedEx Ground Service. You will benefit from very attractive negotiated rates they have provided. For those instances where the weight and distance combination would provide customers with better service with USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate, then we will utilize that method. Either way, you pay one flat rate as follows:

Weight

Flat Rate

up to 20 pounds

$9.99

21 to 40 pounds

$14.99

41 to 60 pounds

$21.99

These rates apply to the 48 Continental US states only. Sorry, no Alaska, Hawaii at this time.